HenriettaPizzaNolan
Raising Layers and Meat Birds in the City
I had to do this. My hen had some really bad health issues and was suffering so much. We had to cull her. I buried her because she was so incredibly skinny by the end, and with her health issues we weren't sure if she was okay to eat. And also, it was my first hen death and culling. She was my first and favorite as well and that may have also contributed slightly to not using her for soup.Culling and disposing of their bodies?? I don't see how anyone could raise a bird for so long and then simply dispose of them.. their life is worth more than that surely.
I 100% agree that it's probably more respectful to eat them if you can, but in some cases, it's not worth the risk if they were a sick hen. Mine had a ton of swelling on her backside. I wouldn't put my fork anywhere near that. And besides, she wasn't meaty at all - just a frail old lady. But since we buried her in the yard, she will become part of the earth in our yard, and essentially fertilizer for all the growth that will nourish the chickens and our family. So it's not a life wasted